The Debaters
CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand
The Debaters is the hit show where comedians go toe-to-toe in a battle of laughs and logic. Hosted by award-winning funnyman Steve Patterson, the program is a combustible combination of sharply crafted comedic rants and hilarious ad libs. The engaging format is part stand-up, part quiz show and part comedy competition, with the live audience picking the winners.
Location:
Canada, ON
Networks:
CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand
Description:
The Debaters is the hit show where comedians go toe-to-toe in a battle of laughs and logic. Hosted by award-winning funnyman Steve Patterson, the program is a combustible combination of sharply crafted comedic rants and hilarious ad libs. The engaging format is part stand-up, part quiz show and part comedy competition, with the live audience picking the winners.
Twitter:
@CBCradio
Language:
English
Contact:
The Debaters CBC Radio P.O. Box 4600 Vancouver, BC V6B 4A2 416-205-3700
Email:
cbcinput@cbc.ca
Episodes
Is having a plan superior to winging it? Are small airports a delight?
11/6/2025
We’re deciding if it’s better to plan ahead or play it by ear, and if we should all get on board with small airports.
Featuring: Nour Hadidi, Graham Chittenden, Shawn Hogan, and James Mullinger.
Duration:00:34:21
Are high school friends the best friends you'll ever have? And are nosy neighbours better than noisy neighbours?
10/30/2025
We’re deciding if high school friendships are forever, then, it’s no time to be a fencesitter when we debate whether a nosy neighbour beats a noisy neighbour.
Featuring: Charlie Demers, Heidi Brander, Lisa Baker, and Derek Seguin.
Duration:00:36:06
Are podcasts superior to music? Are date nights the key to a good relationship?
10/16/2025
It's full stream ahead when we pit podcasts against music. Then, we go to town on whether date nights should be crucial to every couple.
Featuring: Erica Sigurdson, Myles Anderson, Kyle Brownrigg, and Kate Davis.
We value your input. Fill out our listener questionnaire here!
Duration:00:32:29
Should curling be Canada’s national sport? Is Canada's Thanksgiving better than America's?
10/9/2025
We’ve got a stone cold debate on whether curling should be Canada’s national sport. Then, who dishes out a better Thanksgiving, Canadians or Americans?
Featuring: John Cullen, Elvira Kurt, Clifton Cremo, and Nathan Macintosh.
Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Duration:00:39:38
Is meeting the parents important? And is Victoria, BC cool?
10/2/2025
We’re deciding if meeting the parents is a major milestone, and whether Victoria, BC has the cool factor.
Featuring: Syd Bosel, Abdul Aziz, Ivan Decker, and Katie-Ellen Humphries.
Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!
Duration:00:37:36
Does Velcro beat laces? Do dress codes at work matter?
9/25/2025
We have a fasten-ating debate on Velcro vs. laces, then, we get down to business when we discuss dress codes at work.
Featuring: Lisa Baker, Sean Cullen, Chad Anderson, and Brittany Lyseng.
Duration:00:35:02
Is wireless better than wired? And do you actually need a driver’s license?
9/18/2025
We’re deciding if Bluetooth just makes you blue, and if everyone should be driven to get a driver’s license.
Featuring: Arthur Simeon, Matt Falk, Jackie Pirico, and Derek Edwards.
Duration:00:34:40
Should married couples renew their vows? And is living up North worth it?
9/11/2025
We’re deciding if it makes sense to say “I do” all over again, and whether we should give living in the North the cold shoulder.
Featuring: Charlie Demers, Erica Sigurdson, Gavin Clarkson, and Quincy Thomas.
Duration:00:34:36
Is 20 Years a long time? And do names need to have meaning?
9/4/2025
It’s the premiere of our 20th season! So we’re asking: Is 20 years a long time? Then, what’s in a name? We’re deciding if these signifiers need significance.
Featuring: Derek Seguin, Lara Rae, Ola Dada, and Wes Borg.
Duration:00:35:38
20 Years of Debates: An Anniversary Special!
9/2/2025
For the start of our 20th season, we're giving you a behind-the-scenes interview with our host Steve Patterson and Richard Side, creator of The Debaters! We'll be bringing you some of our most unforgettable debates, hearing from your favourite comedians, and getting the facts behind the funny!
Duration:00:35:21
Are shopping carts better than baskets? And is an invitation to the cottage the secret to summer fun?
6/19/2025
Our season finale episode is a grocery grudge match and a real re-treat!
Featuring: Matt Wright, Jan Caruana, Laurie Elliott, and Tamara Shevon.
Duration:00:37:04
Which is better: Mother’s Day or Father’s Day? And do coaches matter?
6/12/2025
We’re pitting parental holidays against each other, and deciding if coaches are a make or break mentor.
Featuring: Dave Hemstad, Elvira Kurt, Emmanuel Lomuro, and Patrick Dussault.
Duration:00:35:16
Are jeans the best pants? And is food delivery easier than ever?
6/5/2025
We decide if wearing denim is a dream and whether ordering delivery is a breeze.
Featuring: Stacey McGunnigle, Myles Anderson, Graham Clark and Lachlan Patterson.
Duration:00:38:15
Which is better: Plastic or paper? And are you nobody until somebody hates you?
5/22/2025
We decide if plastic beats paper and whether being hated has its benefits.
Featuring: Ivan Decker, Martha Chaves, Nikki Payne, and Bruce Clark.
Duration:00:35:21
Should you raise your family in Winnipeg? And is compromise the best solution?
5/15/2025
When it comes to raising kids, does Winnipeg win? And is compromise a happy ending?
Featuring: Chad Anderson, Lara Rae, Courtney Gilmour, and Jon Dore.
Duration:00:37:42
Does nothing beat a day at the ballpark? And is Toronto the worst city in Canada to commute in?
5/8/2025
It’s a homerun when we talk about a day at the baseball stadium, and whether commuting in Toronto is enough to drive you up the wall.
Featuring: Patrick Dussault, Simon Rakoff, Isabel Zaw-Tun, and Don Kelly.
Duration:00:37:06
Do butter tarts beat Nanaimo bars? And is there no shame in quitting?
4/24/2025
Which Canadian confection are you sweet on: Butter tarts or Nanaimo bars? And do quitters never win?
Featuring: Deborah Kimmett, Jon Steinberg, Graham Chittenden, and Leonard Chan.
Duration:00:35:10
Shh! Is silence golden? Does a smoothie make a meal?
4/17/2025
We decide if quiet is something to treasure, and whether a smoothie is meal-worthy.
Featuring: Yumi Nagashima, Charlie Demers, Katie-Ellen Humphries, and Gavin Clarkson.
Duration:00:36:33
Do billionaires have it harder than millionaires? And is there always something happening in Barrie, Ontario?
4/10/2025
Which wealth bracket has it worse: Billionaires or millionaires? And we decide if Barrie, Ontario is the place to be!
Featuring: Dave Hemstad, Don Kelly, Chris Quigley, Courtney Gilmour.
Duration:00:34:24
Gulp, we're going there - should Canada be the 51st state?
4/3/2025
In a debate that needed its own full episode, the elbows come up and the gloves come off when two of our favourite debaters take on Canada becoming the 51st state.
Duration:00:27:46